The One That (Almost) Got Away
by Gotham Siren
Summary: AU: In a tale of rejected proposals, love triangles, and two old friends harboring feelings for one another, will this turn into another disaster? Or will things work out for the better? Also, stay tuned to see if Umbreon gets her bacon she's begging really hard for. Egoshipping.


**Hey guys! I'm really proud of the way this turned out, so here's a new little fic for all of the Egoshippers out there!**

 **I don't own Pokémon.**

 _The One That (Almost) Got Away_

New Years Eve, the holiday where everyone proceeded to get shit faced drunk as they rang in the next year with their friends and/or loved ones. Misty Waterflower found that this was an absolute waste of time. Why spend the last day of the year getting drunk, only to face the new one with a massive hangover? She figured that that was exactly why people set resolutions for themselves. It's not like they're actually going to fulfill said resolution, it just sounds good at the time in their inebriated state. She sat hunched over on her couch, phone in hand as she willed it to ring. Okay, so maybe she was just a bit bitter towards everyone happily experiencing the holiday. Meanwhile, she was forcing back tears. She and her boyfriend weren't doing well. In fact, they had spent this whole weekend arguing. Of course, Misty being Misty, she wasn't going to admit defeat, nor was she going to admit her own faults. They had planned to spend the night with one another, regardless of the fact that they were going through their own problems. But he was supposed to be back well over an hour ago. Quite honestly, the redhead was just assuming that he was going to blow her off. Their relationship was down the drain, anyway.

Gage had been the love of her life, at one point. They met when he strolled into her gym, asking for directions. Having been a native of Kalos, he was as lost as lost could be. Misty aided him by giving the directions to Celadon City, where he had booked a hotel room. He was looking for a new life here in Kanto, and boy did he find it. If she was being honest with herself, however, she wished that he had never come into her gym that day. She quickly fell for his striking green eyes, jet-black, shoulder-length hair, and that arrogant smile. She wouldn't admit it to just anyone, but Misty had a type. She was attracted to confident men. To men who _knew_ just how better they were than anyone else, even if they really weren't. She didn't have a long track record with men, only having dated a handful of men in her twenty-five years of life. But she wished to Arceus that she never dated _that_ man. What went from him staying just a week in Kanto turned into two years. He came from a wealthy family, so he was able to afford the stay. Eventually, Gage and Misty moved in together, in this very apartment in Viridian City. The apartment was in his name, and he offered his girlfriend to stay with him to cut back on the stress of having to live in the gym with her sisters.

The redhead pushed herself back against the soft cushions, her head resting against the back of it. For the past week, things had been tough between the two of them. Gage's had his head somewhere else, and Misty knew it. Maybe he just didn't have the guts to break up with her. But the Cerulean City Gym Leader's pride was far too great to back down and she wasn't going to give up without a fight. Every one of her friends was moving on with their lives. Ash, Brock, May, Dawn, even her sisters were all either getting engaged, married, or starting their own family. Misty didn't want to admit to any of them that she was heading towards the single life. Not when everything was looking up just a week ago. Green eyes tore from the black TV screen in front of her, realizing that she had been staring into space long enough. She peered down at her lap as she unlocked her phone. No new messages, no new missed calls. So, where _was_ he? She wasn't going to call him herself. 'Cause that would be letting him know that she cared where he was at, which she was desperately trying to act like she didn't. No sooner than that thought crossed her mind, the door swung open and Gage came in, Misty being able to smell the booze on him from her spot on the couch.

"Nice of you to finally come home," she spat, venom evident in her tone.

Gage scoffed, fixing his green eyes onto his girlfriend as he strode over to the armchair opposite her, plopping down on it effortlessly, "you act like you care or somethin'," he spoke, his voice just above a murmur.

Misty grew agitated, her hand rolling up into a fist, though she kept it on her lap instead of lashing out like she wanted to do. "Why can't we talk about this civilly?" she asked, closing her eyes to keep her calm. Over the years, she had matured. Her temper was still dangerously short, but she was able to keep her cool a lot longer than she used to.

He shrugged, his gaze drifting to the floor now. "Nothing's ever civil with you, Mist."

Last weekend, Gage planned out a romantic evening. He took her out to Cinnabar Island and eventually the night led to his proposal. Misty had been stunned. Her whole life she had been waiting for that moment. But something just didn't feel _right._ She didn't feel the sparks fly like she had always imagined it would. The butterfrees in her belly were merely measly caterpies. So, she turned him down. She _thought_ that she would have time to think about it, and the couple would just resume their lives as they normally did. But oh how wrong she was. After that night, Gage took on a new persona. Every night, he would go out and drink. And when they saw one another, a fight would be sure to ensue.

"I'm _sorry_. I just- I'm not ready for marriage," she admitted, probably for the first time aloud. It sounded odd on her tongue, and she wasn't sure if she was being entirely truthful. Maybe she was ready, just not with him.

He tiredly ran a hand across his handsome face. Misty blanched, fighting the urge to give into him. "Aren't you the one who always _complains_ about your friends getting engaged or married? Every reception you drag me to, you always end up at the bar drinkin' yourself to a stupor whining about your own life. And who's there to pick up the pieces?" Their eyes meet from across the way and Misty is the first to break the contact, realizing that he's right.

"I just need time to think—okay? Can't you understand that?" Misty gained the courage to look back at him, her gaze as sharp as daggers.

"No-" he replied without missing a beat, "no I can't."

The redhead's expression eased with intensity. She knew how well he could handle his alcohol. He might have been drinking for hours, by the way he smelt. But his words were as cohesive as they would be if he was completely sober. This was the real deal.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Gary Oak was Misty Waterflower's next-door neighbor. The apartment walls were paper thin, so he could hear everything going on. Nursing his glass of Jack and coke while working on an endless pile of paperwork, he couldn't help but hear the commotion going on next door. Gary and Misty had a rather colorful past. About four years ago, they had a one-night-stand at one of Ash's many get-togethers. It all started with a harmless game of Truth or Dare between the friends. (Well, okay, it would have been even less harmless had it been a _sober_ game of Truth or Dare, but that's neither here nor there). Ash's childish self dared Gary to kiss Misty, and with both of them being drunk off their ass, a harmless kiss turned into something more.

 _Flashback_

" _Alright, Gary, your turn!" Ash called out in a sing-song, "truth, or dare?" He was having far too much fun with this. And the alcohol wasn't helping any. He looked at his former rival dead on in the eyes, waiting for him to pick his poison. Pikachu and the other pokemon were enjoying their own party in the next room over, with plenty of food to tide them over while their trainers got drunk off their asses._

 _Gary crossed his arms over his chest, that trademark smirk of his gracing his lips. "Alright, Ashy-boy, I'll bite. I choose dare!" Sober Gary never turned down a challenge, so him being drunk made him twice as brave._

 _Ash looked triumphant, grinning like a little kid who was just setting out on his Pokémon Adventure. He cupped his chin with one hand, glancing around at his friends and at the immediate area around him. His friends were all silent, watching through hazy vision. And as his eyes stopped on Misty, Gary's smug look began to falter. Looking as confident as ever, Ash finally piped up, "I dare you to go over there and kiss Misty."_

 _Everyone, even while drunk, knew that this wasn't such a good idea. Ash and Misty had been a thing during their teen years. And while things didn't last, such an act like this could possibly sting in the morning._

 _Misty was the first to chime in on the situation. "Ew, I'm not kissing Gary Oak. Ash, are you OUT of your mind?" Much of her disdain was towards the fact that she had been dreaming of doing this all night. Since when did Gary become so attractive? She hadn't seen him in years, not since he decided to become a Pokémon Researcher. And since then he had not only matured up, but he had become quite the specimen. He had grown a bit of scruff on his chin and you could tell that the man worked out on a regular. His once childlike demeanor had vanished, and what had been replaced left Misty speechless. And that was before she even had a drop of alcohol in her system._

 _Gary had a similar realization when he saw Misty. Her hair had grown out, down to her waist. And her once stick-thin frame had grown into a frame of a woman. Curves for_ days _, that one had. He started talking to her early on in the party, but the two went their separate ways as the hours passed. The Professor—as he now had several degrees under his belt, was well aware of the history between Ash and Misty. But he also knew Ash enough to know that that ship had set sail and sunk long ago. They were better off as friends. So maybe, just maybe, he had a chance. If she would ever take his pick-up-lines seriously, that is. But this was a step in the right direction, wasn't it? He got up and, with everyone's eyes on him, closed the gap between Misty and himself. She didn't have any time to react before his lips were on hers. But it didn't take long before she let herself give into the temptation. And from that point on, you couldn't get them off one another._

 _The next morning was awkward for everyone, Gary and Misty especially. The former, having sobered up, wanted to make sure that his—err, friend?—was okay. While this was far from his first one-night-stand, he didn't quite know how to approach the situation. Most girls he was involved with were fans of his. They'd flirt with him and be hanging on his arm, and he would give them exactly what they wanted. But with Misty it was different. She wanted it, but she had fought it. Had one or both of them been sober, things probably would have gone a lot differently. So, he decided to make sure she was alright. After all, he wasn't a complete asshole. The redhead was embarrassed and fought him the entire way when he all he wanted to do was help. She left Ash's early the next morning, unable to deal with her feelings on_ top _of a massive hangover. Though, the guilt she felt tore into her soon after, and she texted Ash to give Gary her number before he left. He did contact her, once he was back in his apartment and had time to gather his thoughts. He almost was at a loss. Never once did he have second thoughts about a fling. It was foreign territory for him, and it both irritated and intrigued him to no end._

 _After that, the two of them talked. They formed a platonic relationship, but there was always that spark there. This led into them becoming friends with benefits. Both of them had obvious feelings for one another, but neither of them would set their pride aside to admit it aloud. So, this continued for months. But Gary's workload got the better of him and they lost contact for well over a year. It wasn't until Misty moved in with her boyfriend next door that they saw each other again. The young professor wasn't exactly pleased to see that his lover had moved on, but he wasn't the kind to beg. He put on a façade and the new renewed their friendship the best that they could._

 _Until she and Gage started having troubles that was. She would end up knocking on his apartment, tears rolling down her face. He let her in, all the while being too hard on himself for not making a move all those years ago. He knew how he felt, but he refused to say anything. Gary would make her a drink of choice—usually tea or coffee and let her vent. In her eyes, she saw it as an act of kindness towards a friend. She didn't know it was an act of love. What she also didn't know was the amount of times that he wanted to march next door and deck Gage in the face. But there wasn't anything to deck him in the face_ for _other than his own jealousy. He loved Misty just as much as Gary did, and it was the redhead who was recoiling away. From what? He didn't know._

 _End Flashback_

Gary heard a knock at the door and he knew just who it was. She always knocked the same way, even years later. He abandoned his work pile and his glass, padding over to the door. As he opened the door with ease, he saw a teary eyed Misty behind it, clutching her trademark red bag tightly in her hands. "Trouble in paradise?" He asked, stepping aside for her to come in.

Misty didn't say anything at first, she just walked in and made herself at home on the couch he had left not even two minutes ago. She set her bag containing her pokeballs at her feet, elbows propping up on her legs to support her head. Her only reply was an audible cry, her body trembling as her raging emotions brought her to the breaking point. Gary frowned and shut the door, wasting no time and all to make it back to his old friend. He sat down beside her and watched her, not really knowing what to do. She appeared so fragile to him, like a wild, hurt pokemon. He didn't want to touch her and scare her off, but he also wanted to console her.

"Mist," he spoke, his voice thicker than normal, "what happened?"

She picked up her head and glared at Gary, tears steadily sliding down her cheeks. " _I'm_ what happened! A couple of days ago, Gage proposed—"

Gary immediately felt his heart plummet to his stomach. He schooled his face to hide the hurt he undeniably felt, and let her continue.

"I don't know why, but I said no," she shook her head, tears flying off her cheeks and onto the couch cushions. Then, she laughed in spite of it all. "I told him I needed time to think. But he didn't like that answer." Misty turned her body to face Gary, and he instinctively placed his hand on her thigh. He didn't want to upset her more, so he kept quiet. "All I ever dreamed of as a little girl was to be proposed to by a handsome man. To sweep me off my feet and carry me into the sunset." Gary, being Gary, couldn't let that pass without picking fun. He let out a fake gagging sound, prompting Misty to punch him in the stomach. It wasn't a hard punch, and there was some humor dancing in her eyes, so he knew it was only a half-hearted effort. "But, it just didn't feel like I had imagined it to, ya know? It hurt him. And we've been fighting for days. He- he kicked me out." What she failed to mention was that he kicked her out _and_ told her to go crying to her other boyfriend. Misty knew exactly what he meant. He knew about his girlfriend's history with their next door neighbor. And he was always jealous. She always thought he was just being dramatic. But now, she had to wonder. Why _was_ she here? She could have gone home. She could have gone to Ash, Brock or May, and they would have welcomed her in with open arms. But instead it was like she was on autopilot. Her feet led her where her heart wanted to go. And she was only now realizing it.

Arcanine came running into the room, as if he could feel the tension in the air. He sat at Misty's feet and placed his head in her lap, nose rooting around to find a comfortable spot. She smiled at the canine and began working him behind the ears; his content whining let her know she was doing something right. His trainer looked over at this and removed his own hand from her leg to ruff up the shiny coat of his beloved pokemon. He always adored Misty, so it wasn't a wonder why he was here now.

The silence in the room was beginning to be unbearable. Gary, after another minute went by, locked his gaze onto his old companion's face and worked to put some confidence back in his demeanor. "You can stay here as long as you want."

Misty let out a small sigh, leaning back to tuck her head beneath his chin. "Thanks, Gary," she sniffled a bit, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. Although she didn't expect it, she felt his arms wrap around her waist as he pulled her closer, brushing her hair out of her eyes. They stayed like this for a little while longer. Every now and then, Misty would start crying again. This didn't deter the professor. He just held her, paperwork and booze being long forgotten.

"Misty- why did you come here?" Gary finally asked, pulling away long enough to look at her. She looked—tired. Her eyes were drooping. She looked like one of those old dolls. Worn and torn, fragile, but still beautiful to look at. (God, was he turning into his grandfather with all of this poetic crap? He inwardly groaned at the thought.)

She froze for a moment, not really knowing what to say. "I dunno. Old habits, I guess," she finally answered.

He studied her for a bit longer, a soft smile coming across his face before answering. "Why don't you go lay down and get some rest?" No, he never did anything like this for an old flame. Old flames didn't come back time and time again. Not like this. "The guest bedroom is made up. Never gets used. Well, except for Umbreon, she likes to lay there sometimes," he said, carefully pulling away. Misty was already half-asleep.

The redhead nodded slowly, moving the rest of the way out of Gary's arms, reaching down for her bag. She only brought a few changes of clothes, not wanting to stay in her old apartment for any longer than she had to. She threw the bag over her shoulder and stood up, her legs feeling like jelly due to her fatigue. "Thanks again," she said, placing a hand on Gary's shoulder. He peered up at her, the ghost of a smile curling at his lips.

"Don't mention it. I'll be up for a while, if you can't sleep." Wishful thinking on his part, honestly. She would probably be out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"Goodnight," she sent him an equally soft smile, heading towards the back portion of the apartment, Arcanine at her heels.

Gary watched her until she disappeared from sight, sinking down further against the couch afterwards. He couldn't tell her, could he? But if he wasn't quick, he might never get the chance to. Misty Waterflower had the attention of many bachelors of Kanto. She might not give most of them the time of day, but there was no telling what would happen next.

He shook his head, reaching for his forgotten glass and draining its contents. The way his night is going, that whole bottle will probably be gone by dawn.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The next morning, Gary woke up with a start, finding his chin down on his chest. He groaned, stretching his limbs. Guess he fell asleep on the couch, as he did most nights when he had a great deal of work to do. But as he started to wake up a bit more, he noticed the familiar smell of bacon wafting from the kitchen. That was when he remembered last night. Misty. He got to his feet and heading into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. As soon as he opened his eyes all the way, he had to stop and admire the view. Misty, who had Umbreon hanging off her shoulder, was facing the stove and was cooking away, from several pans, it seemed.

"Morning," she finally spoke, having caught him from the corner of her eye. He smirked at her and passed by to get to the coffeepot. There was already a pot made, much to his confusion.

"What's all this?" He asked, unable to hide the amusement in his voice.

"Call it: Misty's Penance. It's the least I could do, what with ruining your New Years Eve and all by barging in and crying all over you," she paused, rolling her eyes at herself. The redhead seemed to be in a much better mood, but still tense.

"I'm impressed," Gary quirked a brow, "but you didn't have to. Not like _my_ evening was full of excitement," he told her, grabbing a mug from the cabinet above.

"Shut up and let me do nice things, Oak!" She snapped, though the threat had little to no effect due to the smile on her face.

He held up his hands in defense, empty mug and all before going to pour himself a drink. This mug was his favorite. It had squirtles all over it, with the words 'I choose you!' written on it. He saw it at a gift shop during one of his conference meetings in Sinnoh and he just had to have it. He then noticed that she had picked a mug for her own coffee—though he wasn't sure if she just blindly grabbed one or not, but the irony wasn't wasted on him. Her mug was plastered with eevee and its evolutions. Umbreon looked pleased with herself, so maybe she had something to do with it (or maybe Misty was just sneaking bits of bacon to her).

By the time he sat down at the table, Umbreon was jumping off her new friend's shoulder and into his lap. She settled in tucked against his stomach, but her head was still facing the other way so she could keep an eye on the redheaded chef.

"After breakfast I'm going home to see my sisters. I called and told them everything, and they're letting me stay there for a little while," she announced. If she had looked back at Gary, she would have seen a look of defeat on his face.

"Alright," he shrugged, doing his best to squash the disappointment in his tone. To keep himself from saying much else, he started to drink his coffee, the contents burning his throat.

"Is that disappointment in your voice I hear, Professor Oak?" Misty teased, the click of her turning off the burners echoing in the room. As she worked in his kitchen, Gary couldn't help but be amused at how well she knew around his place. She didn't ask where anything was because, well, she knew where everything was. He didn't say a thing to her teasing remark, but watched as she filled two plates up with bacon and—wait a second, was that pancakes?

"Man, boyfriends need to break up with you more often, if this is the kind of repayment I-" he stopped himself, realizing that he put his foot in his mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't—" he was met with a miffed looking Misty, who smacked the backside of his head so hard he went jolting forward. Gary just rubbed the back of his head, cursing under his breath. He deserved that. He was lucky she didn't shove his plate in his face while she sat it down in front of him.

"If you break up with me, someone _else_ will get this breakfast," she said, earning a confused look from the young Oak as he tried to process what she said. When he didn't reply soon enough, she continued, "not all of us can be _geniuses_ like you, I know, but don't you think I can tell when someone is in love with me? Took you long enough—is all I have to say," Misty sat down at the table next to him with her own plate. Umbreon lifted her head and very _carefully_ mitted around Gary's plate for a piece of bacon while he wasn't looking. Misty wasn't going to tell.

"I- _what_?" He asked. For someone who has a P.H.D. at his age, he sure is clueless.

"Be a man and eat your food."

Gary never asked her what she meant, but he didn't have to. She came by every morning after that and resumed the same habits. And as time went on, her morning visits would entail kisses and _other_ things. It took her a while to finally kiss him, months after her breakup with Gage. That fateful New Years Eve, she figured it out all on her own. Why she didn't want to marry Gage. Why she was here with Gary. And it was all thanks to that love struck look on Oak's face, one that he probably fought tooth and nail to hide. She saw that he was in love with her, and she realized that she had felt the same way, for quite some time. Misty hadn't wanted to jump into anything until she was sure. But after all of the assurance from her sisters, she knew what she wanted. And she wouldn't let him get away this time.

 **Well, this was a wild ride. I had the idea hit me late last night, but everything that unfolded was a mystery to me as I wrote it. The muses had their way with me, and this is the story they wanted to convey. Drop a review and let me know what y'all thought. Happy New Year!**


End file.
